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As received from Memorial Chapel Funeral and Cremation Service:
Maria Magdelina Durham (Harma) of Bonita Springs, Florida, and formerly of Twin Lakes, MI, passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. She had recently moved to Kansas City, Missouri, to be near her daughter.
Maria was born in Onnela, Michigan, Dec. 25, 1940, on the Harma farm to Wilma Sophia
(Ekonen) Harma and John Fridolf Harma. She was the youngest of 14 children: George, Don, Ralph, Eva, Sarah and Martin (Ekonen) and Eva, Alice, Agnes, Albert, Elma, Leah, Ray and Maria (Harma).
She attended Redridge School and graduated from Jeffers High School. Maria was a majorette, and cheerleader, and participated in many other activities including choir and honor society at Jeffers High School. Maria had also worked for Jerry DeMotts photography studio while in high school where she had a beautiful portrait done. After graduation in 1959, she moved to Dearborn and started working for Ford Motor Company World Headquarters.
She married Norman Durham on June 18, 1960. They had 3 children: Lee Alan, Terry Steven, and Kelly Mishawn.
She took time off when she and Norm started a family and returned to work for Ford in 1974 in the Scientific Research Laboratory. In 1985, they retired and moved from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, to Twin Lakes, Michigan, and spent the winter months in Bonita Springs, Florida. They continued to travel back and forth every year until 2017 when they became full-time residents of Florida.
She was an active member of the Belles of Harmony Barbershop Chorus for many years and later assisted with hair and makeup for shows. In 1986, she was one of the original players of the Women’s Softball league in the park, and League President in 1994. She played on Citrus Park Sunshine Girls Travel softball team and played twice with the Senior Softball Olympics. She loved to sing karaoke and line dancing. She played pickleball and cornhole more recently in the park as well. She loved all of her Bonita Terra friends who had become like family over the years as well as loved ones in Michigan. She was famous for her pasty recipe and teased her Cornish friends that the Finns perfected them. People would come from miles away for one of her pasties. In 2022, she showed the Gilmore families how to make them. It was definitely a hands-on show as she demonstrated the technique and family secret to making the best pasties. Maria had a wide range of talents. She sang and played the piano and was learning to play the violin. She could sew, knit and crochet. She loved line dancing. She did a lot of oil painting of landscapes, still life and portraits, and planned to take it back up after the move to Kansas City. She enjoyed golf in Michigan as a member of Wyandotte Hills Golf Course in Twin Lakes for years. Maria also played golf regularly with friends in Florida. She had a great sense of humor and was well-known for hilarious jokes and stories. One of her nicknames was “Lucy”. Her crazy antics had family and friends in stitches often. She loved to travel. Her favorite trip was to Finland to find her mother’s home and relatives, as well as her father’s Finnish relatives in Sweden.
She is preceded in death by her beloved Norman, son Lee, daughter-in-law Kimberly Durham.
Surviving family:
Son Terry Durham, daughter Kelly Durham (Kenneth), daughter-in-law Jennifer Durham;
Grandchildren: Rachel Detter (Diana), Lee Durham, Jr., Nicole Durham, Jeremy Durham, Casey Durham (Tim) and Tyler Durham; Great Grandchildren: Scotty, Cole and Sophia Karppinen, Hayden and Aaron Durham and Parker West.
Numerous nieces, nephews and many friends.
A Memorial Service for Maria will be held 11:00 am Friday May 24, 2024, at the First Lutheran Church of Winona with Rev. William Jacobson to officiate. Burial will be in the Woodland Cemetery of Winona.
Friends may call on Friday May 24, 2024, from 10 am until time of services at the First Lutheran Church of Winona.
To view Maria’s obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net.
The Memorial Chapel Funeral & cremation Service – Hancock Chapel is assisting the family with the local arrangements.
